IUCN Status: Near Threatened
EPBC Threat Rating: Moderate
IUCN Claim: “The current major threats to the natural populations of the species include: the accidental introduction of predators (introduced cats and foxes)’”
Cats were the main predator, or a predator, of predator-inexperienced (where known) reintroduced bettongs (Christensen & Burrows 1995; Short & Turner 2000; Moseby et al. 2011; Moseby et al. 2018; Moyses et al. 2020). Cats hunted bettongs in fenced reserve (Moseby et al. 2019). Bettongs were last confirmed in NSW, QLD and Victoria 17-40 years after cats arrived (Wallach et al. 202X).
A positive correlation was found between cat and bettong abundance within a fenced reserve, despite evidence of hunting, and bettong recruitment was confirmed (Moseby et al. 2019). A cat breached the fence of a semi-captive bettong enclosure, yet none were hunted in 1 month (from Moseby et al. 2015). Bettongs were last confirmed in Western Australia a century after cats arrived (Wallach et al. 202X).
There are no studies evidencing a negative association between cats
and burrowing bettong populations. The fate of reintroduced animals is
not a proxy for the fate of locally-born populations. In contradiction
with the claim, the two species co-occurred for decades and up to a
century in some regions.
Abbott, The spread of the cat, Felis catus, in Australia: re-examination of the current conceptual model with additional information. Conservation Science Western Australia 7 (2008).
Christensen, P., and N. Burrows. “Project desert dreaming: experimental reintroduction of mammals to the Gibson Desert, Western Australia.” Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna’.(Ed. M. Serena.) pp (1995): 199-207.
Moseby K, Peacock D, Read J. 2015. Catastrophic cat predation: a call for predator profiling in wildlife protection programs. Biological Conservation 191:331-340.
Moseby, K. E., et al. “Designer prey: can controlled predation accelerate selection for anti-predator traits in naïve populations?.” Biological Conservation 217 (2018): 213-221
Moseby, K. E., et al. “Predation determines the outcome of 10 reintroduction attempts in arid South Australia.” Biological Conservation 144.12 (2011): 2863-2872.
Moseby, Katherine E., et al. “Understanding predator densities for successful co‐existence of alien predators and threatened prey.” Austral Ecology 44.3 (2019): 409-419.
Moyses, Jessie, et al. “Factors influencing the residency of bettongs using one‐way gates to exit a fenced reserve.” Austral Ecology 45.7 (2020): 858-871
Short, Jeff, and Bruce Turner. “Reintroduction of the burrowing bettong Bettongia lesueur (Marsupialia: Potoroidae) to mainland Australia.” Biological Conservation 96.2 (2000): 185-196.
Wallach et al. 2023 In Submission